Microbiologically contaminated water plagues approximately 1.1 billion people in rural and peri-urban populations in developing countries. Roughly 2.2 million people without safe access to drinking water die each year from the consumption of unsafe water, and most of them are children under 5 years of age.

A new article published in Current Protocols in Microbiology provides detailed instructions for constructing and using low-cost biological sand (biosand) filters capable of dramatically improving the quality of drinking water. The article has been made available for free and can be viewed here.

Biological sand filters, which have gained acceptance by the World Health Organization as a viable household water treatment technology, work by having water percolate slowly through a layer of sand, where microorganisms form a bacteriological purification zone. This process filters harmful pathogens from contaminated water. To use the filter, a person simply pours contaminated water into the household biosand filter and immediately collects treated water.

The filters will do more than provide safe, clean drinking water. According to Michael Lea, author of the article, "the filters will provide a cost-effective practical approach to combat poverty and inequality."

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

E-mail the story

Note

Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose.
The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form.

Your message

Newsletter sign up

Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties.

Your Privacy

This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, and provide content from third parties.
By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy
and Terms of Use.